Once more we are subjected to grown men needing to flaunt their ‘manliness’…..NOT…..by distributing sexually explicit photos of themselves.

Once more we are subjected to club leaders, declaring they will not take a stand against these AFL players as it is regarded as a ‘private’ matter. Eddie McGuire’s feeble attempts at humour only devalue the behaviour and once more demonstrates his inability to connect with public – or appropriate – response.

Will the AFL do the same; or stand by it’s so called social media policy which states the league is likely to view ‘accessing, downloading or transmitting any kind of sexually explicit material’ as inappropriate – (includes SMS and instant messaging).

It appears men are learning nothing of the enormous efforts to educate and enlighten society to the scourge of sexual and domestic violence against women. A scourge that is built on and encouraged by this male back slapping, supposedly laugh a minute, look at me, mens’ club attitude. The only people who may be impressed by this behaviour are similarly minded – or mindless – morons.

But more tragically than men’s own inability to see themselves for who they truly are is the hard-to-comprehend, apparent support from their female partners. Instead of acknowledging the only people responsible for this appalling behaviour are the men themselves, it seems one partner is trying to deflect blame by claiming it is jealousy and ‘unhappy people trying to bring happy people down’.

To defend a grown man against such behaviour is abysmal. Will this woman become the mother who will go on to defend her son at child care if he throws a tantrum when he can’t get his own way, who will hide misdemeanours from his father when he is a teenager…..because fathers – even ones who have behaved abhorrently themselves…..will be stricter with their own children?

Will the current partner, future mother, contribute to the cycle of generations of men being permitted to behave abominably, not just disgracing themselves, their family and friends, but ultimately creating a societal circle where men view their bodies as powerful weapons and themselves as superior and women will continue to experience horrendous domestic and sexual violence.